Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-12-16
&armers' Gulumu.
Give fools their gold 4 knaves their power
Let fortunes bubbles rise and fail;
Who sOws a field trains q flower.
Or plants a tree. Is more than all.
Dried Leaves.

The leaves have fallen and now cover
the ground wherever patch of wood
land, an orchard, or ornamental grove
is located. In long experience among
farmers, to see these leaves gathered
and used, has been tbs exceptional
experience of our life. In but two
cases have we observed anything like
an attempt to gather the bulk of them,
and then only because bedding for the
horses and cattle promised to be scarce
and it was desirable to sell the straw.
The great value of the leaves them
selves did not even then enter into the
account in the minds of those who
used them, They used them merely
as temporary substitute for some
thing else.
Consider the actual value of these
dry leaves, however, and it will readi-
ly appear how important it is that tney
should be gathered and used as mat
ter of principle. No one can afford to
allow them to lie beneath the trees or
to be scattered by the wind over the
fields into the corners of the fences,
into the thickets formed by bushes
and briars, and into other out-of-the-
way places.
They make excellent bedding for
cattle and horses, and when broken
up and trsmpled are the very best ab-
sorbents Of all the fertilizing elements.
When cast upon the manure pile in
this condition they make very rich
compost and their decomposition gives
a manure which is not surpassed in
activity and usefulness, by any stable
or barn yard manure. Even that from
animals fed on grain or bran, or oil
cake, or corn meal, does not surpass it
in quality.
AS bedding for swine it is excel
lent and the more they can dispose of
during the winter, the better it will be
both for the farmer and for the swine.
We are strong believers in good bed
ding for swine and in giving them so
many of these leaves that they will
have no chance of turning their pen
into filthy hole of repulsive mire.
As an abundance of litter upon the
floor of the poultry house, or covering
the ground beneath the shed in their
yard, it is first class article. 1t
keeps the flock busy from morning
until night. The grain thrown among
the leaves is hidden BY them and the
busy hens hunt and scratch till the
very last particle of food is discovered.
The chickens also break the leaves up
quite finely SO that they will absorb
the droppings and thus add greatly to
the value of the fertilizer. 1t is not
necessary to mention how much
warmtrand comfort they will bring
the chickens in keeping them from
the cold, moist ground during the
winter.
If you have no use for the leaves for
any OF these purposes, yet do not fail
to gather them and place them in
heaps that the rains may reach them
and promote decay, fitting them for
use in spring, both as mulch and as
a grand fertilizer for vegetable crops.
Boxes, bags, barrels and any spare room
in barn or shed should be made Of use
to hold leaves, and every spare hour
should be turned to account to gather
ing them.
TO those who have a flock of sheep
and have been troubled by the various
ailments growing out of the fact that
the ground beneath their shed is so
often half frozen slush of mud and
snow what suggestion of comfort
is presented by foot in depth of dry
leaves beneath them when the winters
night comes. It enables the farmer,
who has any thought for his stock, to
rest with greatly added coutentment
by his comfortable ire.-Maryland
Farner.